Al Franken Wins Primary For Minnesota Senate Seat

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: September 10, 2008

The comedian Al Franken won the Democratic nomination for Senate in Minnesota on Tuesday, setting up a showdown with the incumbent Republican senator, Norm Coleman.

Mr. Franken, who gained fame as a cast member of ''Saturday Night Live,'' easily beat six other candidates. Mr. Coleman trounced his only opponent, an expatriate living in Italy.

Mr. Franken's celebrity has both helped and hurt him. His coast-to-coast recognition enabled him to amass impressive financing for a first-time candidate, but archives full of racy material provided ammunition to Republicans and his most visible Democratic rival, Priscilla Lord Faris, a lawyer.

Ms. Lord Faris, part of a well-regarded family in state Democratic politics, criticized Mr. Franken for ''angry and offensive public behavior'' and said he would be too easy a target for Mr. Coleman and his allies.

With most precincts reporting, Mr. Franken had 65 percent of the vote to 29 percent for Ms. Lord Faris.

''Norm Coleman has become Washington,'' Franken said. ''He's the Washington guy, and I'm going to be fighting for Minnesotans.''

Mr. Coleman sought to make the race about experience in public office.

''Minnesotans have a clear choice on experience,'' he said. ''Minnesotans have a clear choice in terms of record of working with others.''

Dean Barkley won a spot on the ballot for the Independence Party, which is a major party in Minnesota.

In the New Hampshire Senate race, Senator John E. Sununu, a Republican, and former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, easily won their primaries.

In the District of Columbia, former Mayor Marion S. Barry Jr. easily held off four challengers in the Democratic primary for City Council. Mr. Barry is expected to win a second four-year term in November in the overwhelmingly Democratic city.